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PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad – The U.S. government has donated test kits for dengue and other arboviruses, including Zika and Chikungunya, to the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) in Trinidad.
The test kits will reportedly help the Caribbean Public Health Agency respond to the increasing number of dengue cases in the Caribbean.
“This donation will help protect the health and safety of people throughout the Caribbean and is a testament to the United States’ ongoing partnership with regional public health stakeholders,” said U.S. Ambassador to Trinidad and Tobago Candace Bond.
“With the increase in dengue cases in the region, it is critical to adopt personal protective measures and invest in health promotion and disease prevention activities to protect vulnerable groups from contracting the disease,” the diplomat added.
Washington said community engagement is critical to increasing the effectiveness of vector control efforts and helping to reduce the populations of mosquitoes that spread disease.
“Through actions such as eliminating dengue breeding sites, participating in clean-up operations, and disseminating prevention methods, communities can make a significant contribution to controlling the spread of dengue and protecting public health, especially for the most vulnerable, including the young, the elderly, pregnant women, and the immunocompromised,” it added.
Several Caribbean countries have reported outbreaks of dengue fever, with some countries also experiencing deaths related to the virus.
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